1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to an advanced intelligent network system for facilitating a subscriber""s billing preferences.
2. Background of the Invention
Long distance telephone calls are normally billed to the calling party number (xe2x80x9cCgPNxe2x80x9d) unless the calling party provides an alternative billing number. Using conventional systems and methods, alternative billing numbers may be a credit card, a calling card or some other billing code recognized by the local exchange carrier (xe2x80x9cLECxe2x80x9d) and the long distance carrier, i.e., inter-exchange carrier (xe2x80x9cIXCxe2x80x9d), as a valid billing account. Additionally, the calling party may place a collect call wherein an operator or an automated system obtains authorization from the called party to xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d the charges. In this situation, the calling party""s LEC and IXC must communicate with the called party""s LEC to bill the called party for the call.
Each of the above identified options increase the costs the LECs and IXCs incur to provide the telephone connection between parties. The increased costs are generally passed on to the billed party. Generally, calling card, credit card and collect calls cost are more expensive than direct-dialed long distance calls. Also, subscribers often have preferred long distance carriers that they wish to bill calls through. Such long distance carriers may offer incentives to subscribers who use their services. Such incentives include, e.g., earning frequent flyer miles for each dollar spent in long distance calling, reduced rates for higher calling volumes, and earning points which can be used towards the purchase of special merchandise.
To keep costs down and to retain the benefits of using a single preferred provider, some subscribers developed special procedures to xe2x80x9cmanuallyxe2x80x9d reverse the charges for some long distance calls. For example, some parents may wish to pay for incoming calls from their child who is away at college. One manual technique used by some parents is partially effective. In this technique, the child places an initial telephone call to the parents"" home telephone number. After the parents answer the call, both parties hang up their telephones, and the parents then return the call. As noted above, this technique is only partially effective because the child still incurs some long distance charges. An alternative manual technique used by some parents can eliminate this problem. In this technique, the parents may instruct their child to direct-dial the parents"" home telephone number, let the telephone ring twice and then hang up. When the parents hear only two rings before the caller hangs up, they know that their child wishes to speak to them. The parents then call the child back using the parents"" preferred long distance carrier.
Before the advent of caller-Id, such procedures were effective only if (1) the called party is home, and hears the phone ring only two times, (2) the called party has only one calling party using the code of two rings followed by a hang up (additional calling parties would require more elaborate procedures, e.g., caller I rings once and hangs up, caller II rings twice and hangs up, caller III rings once, hangs up, then immediately calls back, rings once and hangs up) and (3) the called party does not accidentally answer the phone before the calling party hangs up.
With the advent of caller-Id services, some of these problems were alleviated. For example, using call-Id, the called party is informed that a call was received and the time it was received, even if the called party was not home when the call came in. The caller-Id system also provides the calling party""s number or name (if calling name delivery service is active) so the called party will know if the call was from someone that should be called back using the called party""s preferred long distance carrier. Although caller-Id identifies the calling party, the call-back system is still manually operated. The burden of returning the call is placed on the called party. Thus a system and method providing long distance automatic call-back from the called party to the calling party is desirable.
Moreover, unless the called party also has call-waiting with caller-Id, if the called party""s line is busy, the calling party must redial the called party""s line until it is available before the caller-Id system is activated. Conventional systems currently provide an automatic call-back service wherein, if the called party""s line is busy, the system monitors the line and initiates a call when the line is free. However, the call is generated and billed as a call from the original calling party to the original called party. No service currently exists wherein, even if the called party""s line is busy, a telephone call is automatically connected from the called party back to the calling party, thereby billing the xe2x80x9ccalled partyxe2x80x9d using that party""s preferred long distance carrier.
Another conventional means for reversing charges for long distance calling uses xe2x80x9ctoll freexe2x80x9d numbers. Telephone calls to toll free numbers, i.e., 1-800 or 1-888 numbers, are not charged to the calling party. However, as with collect calls or calling card calls described above, the subscriber will ultimately pay a higher price because of the additional cost of providing toll service.
The present invention utilizes an Advanced Intelligent Network (xe2x80x9cAINxe2x80x9d) to provide a system and method for automatic call-back services for long distance calls. AIN systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,301, U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,533, Bellcore Specification TR-NWT-001284, Switching Systems Generic Requirements for AIN 0.1, and Telcordia Specification GR-1298, AINGR: Switching Systems, which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
When a call is placed from a designated calling party to a called party, the system and method of the present invention intercepts the call to prevent a bill from being generated for the calling party""s line. The system and method of the present invention then initiates a call from the called party""s line to the calling party. If either the original called party or the original calling party are not available (i.e., the line is busy or not answered) when the automatic call-back system initiates the call, the system tries again. The frequency and number of retries can be pre-set by the LEC or by the subscriber.
Under the system and method of the present invention, a subscriber first identifies the authorized parties that the subscriber agrees to automatically call-back, thus incurring the cost of the call. In a preferred embodiment, the list comprises the telephone directory numbers (xe2x80x9cDNsxe2x80x9d) from which the authorized parties will call the subscriber. In an alternate embodiment, the list comprises personal identification numbers (xe2x80x9cPINsxe2x80x9d) assigned to the authorized parties. The list may be created using any suitable procedure and is stored in a database on a service control point (xe2x80x9cSCPxe2x80x9d). The database also stores the address, i.e., the point code, for the subscriber""s switch, which is necessary for creating the call back to the authorized parties.
A suitable trigger is provisioned on the subscriber""s service switching point (xe2x80x9cSSPxe2x80x9d) or xe2x80x9cswitchxe2x80x9d for the subscriber""s line. Whenever a call to the subscriber""s line is received at the subscriber""s switch the trigger causes the switch to send a database query to the SCP. In response to the trigger, the SCP checks the database to see if the calling party is on the subscriber""s list of authorized parties for the long distance automatic call-back service. If the calling party is not an authorized party, the SCP sends a Continue message or an Authorize_Termination message to the switch and the call is terminated to the subscriber as a normal call.
If the calling party is an authorized party, the SCP notes the call in the database, then instructs the switch to disconnect the call. In a preferred embodiment, the switch plays an announcement to the caller informing the caller that the long distance automatic call-back service has been activated and instructing the caller to hang up. In this preferred embodiment, the switch also provides the caller with an option to let the call go through using normal billing procedures. If the caller accepts the option, the call proceeds and the calling party line is billed for the call. If the caller declines, the call is disconnected either by the switch or when the caller hangs up.
On a periodic basis, e.g., every 5 minutes, the SCP looks through its database to see which subscribers have entries indicating a call-back is required. When such an entry is identified, the SCP sends a message to the subscriber""s switch, identified by its point code, instructing the switch to create a call. In a preferred embodiment, the message sent is a Create_Call message defined in the AIN 0.2 standards. The message comprises the subscriber""s telephone DN and the DN for the authorized party to be called from the subscriber""s line. In addition to the Create_Call message, the SCP sends a Send_Notification request.
When the switch receives the instructions from the SCP it checks the subscriber""s line to see if it is available. If the line is available, the switch rings the line and waits for the line to be answered. If the line is answered, the switch then initiates the call to the authorized calling party. In a preferred embodiment, the switch plays a message informing the subscriber that a long distance call-back is being connected.
The call is processed by the subscriber""s switch and the authorized calling party""s switch just like any normal call. However, in response to the Send_Notification request, the subscriber""s switch informs the SCP of the result of the call. The SCP uses this information to update the database of subscribers requiring a call-back. For a predetermined period or a predetermined number of attempts, the SCP periodically checks its database and initiates call-back procedures as required. After the predetermined period expires or the predetermined number of attempts have been made, the SCP updates the database and stops the call-back procedures. Similarly, if a call-back is successfully connected between the two parties, the SCP updates the database accordingly.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automated system for placing a return call using a subscriber""s telephone line when an authorized caller dials the subscriber""s number.
It is a further object of the present invention to use an Advanced Intelligent Network to xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d the charges for long distance calls placed by a first party to a second party without incurring a long distance bill for the first party.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system to allow subscribers to be billed for designated inbound calls.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system to allow subscribers to use a preferred long distance service provider to return calls placed by designated callers.